Calistoga

As one customer succinctly put it in the comments book that the bill comes charmingly enveloped in, Calistoga Central is ‘bloody marvellous’.

Given the restaurant’s proximity to George Street, the atmosphere could not be further apart from the pretentious air felt in many of Calistoga’s more showy contemporaries. From the impressive wine racks that make up a key feature of the room, to the wine tasting events regularly held at the restaurant, the appreciation of good wine by the owner, Gordon, is evident.

My partner’s starter choice of lemon peppered chicken with black bean and basil couscous was appropriately reminiscent of a David Hockney painting, and the abstract splashes of southern colour looked good enough to frame.

The proof was in the pudding, as a modern take on American staples was evident in the innovative peanut butter and jelly pancake cheesecake. Creamy Mascarpone mixed with peanut butter was layered into thick and fluffy American pancakes in what was a fun and original cake, perfectly befitting of a restaurant that does not take itself too seriously. Yum.